The host with the most?

Jon Stewart, the faux news anchor for Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," has accepted the task of hosting the 78th Academy Awards on March 5, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences confirmed Thursday. It will be the first Oscar gig for Stewart, although the 43-year-old funnyman hosted the Grammy Awards in 2001 and 2002.

The choice of Stewart as emcee came after last year's host, Chris Rock, was not asked back and eight-time host Billy Crystal pleaded a busy schedule that would not allow him to prepare his usual schtick for the show. "As a performer, I'm truly honored to be hosting the show," Stewart said in a statement. "Although, as an avid watcher of the Oscars, I can't help but be a little disappointed with the choice. It appears to be another sad attempt to smoke out Billy Crystal."

Nominations for the 78th Annual Academy Awards will be announced Jan. 31 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The award no one wants

While all of Hollywood waits with baited breath to see who will receive Oscar nods later this month, there is one honor most thespians do not want – of the Golden Raspberry Awards, or Razzies.

The 2005 crop of Razzie nominees includes Jennifer Lopez for "Monster-in-Law," Jennifer Garner for "Elektra," and couch jumper Tom Cruise for "War of the Worlds." Hunky Orlando Bloom got a double whammy – nominations for his roles in "Elizabethtown" and "Kingdom of Heaven." Winners will be announced March 4.

For the love of Cash

Barry Gibb, one-third of the 1970s pop phenom the Bee Gees, has bought the Tennessee lakeside house of the late Johnny and June Carter Cash. The purchase price was not announced, but the property originally was listed at $2.9 million and later reduced to $2.5 million.

In a news release Thursday, estate trustee Robert Sullivan quoted Gibb as saying: "This place will always be the spiritual home for the Cashes. My wife, Linda, and I are determined to preserve it to honor their memory. We fell in love with it. It's an incredible honor for us. We plan to use the home to write songs because of the musical inspiration."

Also, continuing to channel the late country singer, actor Joaquin Phoenix, who portrayed Cash in "Walk the Line," returned Tuesday to the scene of one of the musician's most famous concerts – Folsom State Prison. Cash's Jan. 13, 1968, performance in the penitentiary in Sacramento became a popular live album. About 54 inmates watched the movie as Phoenix toured the facility with his entourage, including musician Shooter Jennings, who played his father, Waylon Jennings, in the movie.

Dressed all in Cash's trademark black, Phoenix performed several acoustic songs with Jennings at the prison's Greystone Chapel, including "Folsom Prison Blues."

Phoenix said his co-star in the film, Reese Witherspoon, who played Cash's wife, June Carter Cash, wanted to be there for the event. "I know you guys would probably rather see Reese," he said.